Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)

I congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and the Minister on their appointments.

Since 2009 there has been a freeze on sports capital grants. I am sure the Minister is as aware as I am of the importance of sport to young people. Research indicates that every euro we spend on our children saves the State €7 by the time they become adults. However, the difficulty of measuring the social benefits of sports means people are reluctant to invest money in this area in the current economic climate. Is there any interest on the part of the coalition Government in commencing a new programme of investment in sports infrastructure? Aside from the social benefits for children, expenditure on infrastructure is a worthy investment during difficult economic times. When recession hit China, the first thing its Government did was to invest €450 billion in infrastructure. Is the Government equally keen to invest in developing sports infrastructure in the light of the economic and social benefits that would ensue?

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